Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Socialist Party)
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17. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 170 and 171 of 2 December 2015, if procedures exist for accidental or unscheduled meetings that may take place between Ministers or senior officials and bidders for State contracts under the Ministers' remit, and if such policies contain an obligation to take note of the topics discussed at such meetings. [44111/15]

Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
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My Department is responsible for the Seniors Alert Scheme which encourages community support for vulnerable older people in our communities by providing grant assistance towards the purchase and installation of personal monitored alarms to enable older persons, of limited means, to continue to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind.

The scheme is administered by local community and voluntary groups with the support of Pobal, who took over this role in September 2015 given that organisation’s significant experience delivering programmes on behalf of Government.

The assessment of the tenders for the Seniors Alert Scheme, including the award of contracts, was managed separately by Pobal, an independent company, following a public advertisement on eTenders on 20 October 2014. This process was conducted in a robust manner consistent with EU and national Procurement Guidelines.

A meeting between Minister Kelly and Deputy Brendan Ryan was scheduled for 10 December 2014, to discuss the Senior Alerts Scheme. While it was not indicated that any other people would be attending the meeting, Deputy Ryan was, in fact, accompanied by two people who were part of a company that had bid in the tender process to establish a panel of preferred suppliers for the equipment needed for the supply and installation of personal monitored alarms, at what I am advised was ultimately a meeting of brief duration in respect of which minutes were not considered necessary. It is important to note that the assessment of the tenders including the award of contracts under the procurement process concerned was managed separately by Pobal, an independent company.

In relation to the Deputy’s query regarding procedures that exist for meetings that may take place , inadvertently, between Ministers or senior officials and bidders for contracts , a note of the meeting is generally taken where issues of a substantive nature are discussed and it would be usual to ensure, subsequently , that any such meeting did not affect the particular procurement process concerned. In the instance referred to by the Deputy , I understand the meeting was of a brief duration and minutes were not considered necessary. The procurement process was not affected, particularly as the procurement concerned was being managed separately by Pobal.

I should add that following the enactment of the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015, internal procedures have been established, including a template for officials designated under the Act to use in recording notes of meetings.